


auntie bernie

by gillyandersons



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, dumb fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-10
Updated: 2017-04-10
Packaged: 2018-10-17 09:57:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10591656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gillyandersons/pseuds/gillyandersons
Summary: Jason asks Bernie if it's okay to call her Auntie Bernie from now on





	

**Author's Note:**

> okay i'm aware this is shit i'm sorry

Bernie tries not to think too much about Serena, about how much she misses her. Because she knows that if she allows herself too much time to think about it, then she will probably cry.

 

And then it makes her miss Serena _more._ And Serena being away is already eating her alive. She misses her _so_ much, more than she ever missed Marcus when she was on tour.

 

Which is crazy, because she still speaks to Serena at least every other day. She knows where exactly in the world Serena is (currently she's helping out in a refugee camp somewhere in Calais) and what she's doing and how she feels. She knows Serena is okay and that she's on her way to being happy again and yet she misses her so deeply that if she slows down for even a minute, allows herself to feel just how much she misses the other woman, then she will come to a complete stop.

 

She's learnt that the hard way.

 

The first two weeks had been almost unbearable. She'd been so depressed and withdrawn and she snapped at _everyone_ . Even Hanssen at one point. It took Fletch dragging her home from Albies after one too many bottles of wine for her to get her act together. She'd cried, like really _cried_. And Fletch had held her, let her cry in his arms. Because it wasn't just that Serena was gone, it was months of pent up emotion, months of being the strong one - watching as Serena spiralled out of control and being unable to do anything about it. Months upon months of holding in her emotions, of being Serena and Jason's rock.

 

He hadn't said anything the next day. He's asked how she was feeling and smiled when she told him she was fine. She could tell that both him and Morven were keeping a close eye on her, and as much as she hated it, it also felt nice. It was nice to know that somebody had her back.

 

Cameron had turned up a few days after that. Turned up at the house Bernie shared with Serena, a bag under his arm. He hadn't told her that Serena had texted him, telling him to come home because his mother needed him, but Bernie _knew_. And Cameron hadn't expected her to cry. He didn't really know what he expected, but it wasn't that. He'd hugged her tightly as she sniffled against him, clinging to him for dear life.

 

He had never seen his mother be so openly vulnerable, had never seen her be anything other that strong and stoic - and here she was, quietly sobbing in his arms. He hadn't realised just how much he had missed his mother whilst he was away until he had came back.

 

And with Cameron's return, came Jason's. He sometimes came round for dinner, and more often than not stayed the night. And then Friday night dinner with Cameron and Jason became a regular thing. And it was nice. And Cameron _chose_ to stay in with his mother and Jason and eat take it and watch movies instead of going out with Jasmine and Dom.

 

Bernie busied herself all weekend, catching up on paperwork - there was twice the amount now Serena had gone, and trying (and failing) to do the housework. The house would never be kept up to Serena's standards in her absence, but Bernie was trying. Domesticity was never her strong suit.

 

And Monday morning came around quick like it always did. She left the house as Cameron came home, looking both physically and emotionally drained. She offered him a soft smile as they passed each other in the hall, Cameron looking like he could sleep for the next several months.

 

AAU was busy enough that morning to keep her occupied.

 

Her thoughts on work and her patients and not on Serena or how much she misses her.

 

Her lunch hour rolled around fast enough and she slipped into her office, to find Jason sat in Serena’s seat, halfway through his peanut butter sandwich.

 

“Jason!” Bernie says, pleasantly surprised.

 

“Hello Bernie” he says, smiling up at her as she sits in the chair opposite him, pulling out her packed lunch from her desk drawer.

 

“I hope you don't mind me eating my lunch in here”.

 

“Of course not” Bernie beams. She loves spending time with Jason, he chats to her about anything and nothing and it's a welcome distraction.

 

They eat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Jason munching away happily on his sandwiches, Bernie picking at her salad.

 

“Can I ask you something?” Jason speaks up when he is finished eating. Bernie nods and hums in agreement.

 

Jason takes a few moments, gathering his thoughts before he looks at Bernie.

 

“You love Auntie Serena, right?”. He asks and Bernie nods. “And she loves you” he says it more like a statement than a question. “And you still live together, so that means that you're still together” again, he says it more like a statement, like he is thinking out loud. But Bernie nods in agreement anyway. “And Auntie Serena is my _Auntie_ Serena, and she loves you, and you love her and you live together. So that makes you my Auntie too”.

 

“I-uh” Bernie swallows thickly, caught completely off guard. Her breath hitches in her throat. Her chest is all warm and fuzzy and her stomach is alive with butterflies.

 

“I spoke to Alan and Auntie Serena, and she said she thinks it's okay, but that I should ask you first” Jason continues, unaware of just how much it was affecting her. “So is it okay if I call you _Auntie_ Bernie?” he asks and Bernie feels her eyes fill with tears.

 

“Yes!” she laughs, her face splitting into the biggest smile she's felt in a long time. “Of course!”.

 

“Okay” Jason nods, blinking a few times and studying Bernie. “Why are you crying? Are you sad?”.

 

“No” Bernie gives a watery chuckle. “Very much the opposite of sad”.

 

“But…” Jason narrows his eyes. “You're crying”.

 

“Happy tears, Jason” she smiles and wipes at her eyes, wondering when she turned so _soft._

 

“I have to go now” he says, looking at his watch. “My lunch hour is over” he stands, packing away his empty containers. “Goodbye Auntie Bernie, i’ll see you tomorrow for dinner. Alan's making curry and I don't like curry” and with that, he's gone.

 

Bernie stares at the empty chair, her eyes watery with tears. And she smiles, letting a fat tear roll down her cheek. Because she truly believes that Serena is coming back now, that there is room for her in Serena's future. Because she's not just Bernie to Jason anymore. She's _Auntie_ Bernie.

 

She picks up her phone and rings Serena, she doesn't even know if Serena will pick up. But she does, after only four rings. Bernie doesn't even give Serena the chance to say hello.

 

“He just asked to call me Auntie Bernie!”

 

“Oh, darling! That's wonderful!” Serena chirps. She sounds happy, Bernie can hear her smile. “... are you crying?”.

 

Bernie sniffles.

 

“I miss you” she says in response. “I love you and I miss you and take as much time as you need to heal but just… come back to me. To us”.

 

“I will” Serena says. “I _am”_ she promises and Bernie believes her. “I miss you too, Bern”.

 

Bernie wipes at her nose and her eyes, listening to Serena breathe. There's commotion in the hallway and Fletch bursts through the door, telling Bernie she's needed on the ward.

 

“I have to go” Bernie says with a sniffle, trying to compose herself. “I love you”.

 

“Love you too”.

 

And she hangs up, wipes her eyes and follows Fletch out to the ward. Feeling whole and happy. Like she could take on the world. Because she has a family, she has a future. She finally feels like she has something to look forward to again. And she can't wait for Serena to come home, because she  _is_ coming home, and spend the rest of their lives together.

 


End file.
